Queen’s ‘back to work’ message with palace refurb

The UK’s Queen Elizabeth II has ordered work to be resumed on the £370 million (€415 million) renovation and refurbishment of Buckingham Palace in London.

According to the UK’s Mirror website, the monarch has echoed the call of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, for all workers who cannot complete their jobs from home to return to the workplace.

While most UK building sites have ceased operations during the country’s lockdown, there was never a blanket ban from the government, as construction was seen as an essential sector.

The 10-year project will include the replacement of some 160km of electrical cables and over 30km of lead and cast iron pipework.

The Queen, who is 94, is expected to remain in residence while the work goes on, maintaining strict social distancing measures.

The Mirror quoted a Buckingham Palace spokesperson, who said, “Operations have begun in a phased manner to allow for effective social distancing across the sites. With the wellbeing of staff and relevant government advice in mind, a limited number of contractors have been permitted on site initially.

“Additional work has been continuing remotely wherever possible, including progressing with designs, procurement and planning for future stages of the project.”